The Perfected American Watch (1904)

THE PERFECTED AMERICANWATCH BYTHE AMERICANWALTHAM W A T C HC O M P A N Y WALTHAMM A S S . U.S.A. Tache 1904 m i l l ioonn Waallttham sWehctaatches araerenn owwiinn ususe.. FROM 1875 T h e Arfected American Watch i nu ssimplicity,accuracy, permanency and cheapness representsthehighest stage ni the watchmakersart. T h e A m e r i c a n Watch Company a lWaltham.Masshasconstrucked 500,000 ofthesewatches andhas revolulionizedt h eindustry i thas transferredtot h eNewllor. The illustration onthe opposite page a an exact? view of the tactory of this Company. The buildings a r e of brick, Sstories in height. She frontage is 769feet. with numerous wingswhich, if placed e n d to end, would extend 2,827 feet or m o r e than h a l f a mile. The floor space # about Oacres a n d the length of the workbenches 4 miles. Thepower shatting f o r driving the machinery would extend 2 miles andcarries /0 milesee: belting. 3.577persons are now(1904) employedin thefactory. EDITION OF1904. Taken M. Favre Perret, t h e Chief Com. from the Missioner in the Swiss Department a n d Member of t h e International J u r y onWatches at t h e Centennial Enemy ExhibitionatPhiladelphia,U.S.Aa 1876, Speaking of the RIVERSIDE movement, said: ‘Gentlemen,here is whut §haveseen I asked from the manager of the Waltham Company a watch of a certain qualityHeopenedbeforemeabigchest Pickedoutawatch atrandomandfixed i lo my chain. The manager askedme ‘0 leave the watch with them forthree or four days that they might regulate tt Onthe contrary, 9 said tohim, Ywanttokeepitjustasit istoget an exact idea of y o u r workmanship.” Onarrivingatbocle 9showedthis watch to one ofour first adjusters» s e e r whotookit apart. At theendof several days he came to me a n dsaid hierally, J am astonished, the result 4sincredible. You do not rinda watch fo compare with that in 50000of our make! Shis watch, J repeat to you, gentlemen, 9myselltook ofthandfrom «@largenumber,asI havesat.Onecan understand by this example how it is that an American watch should bepre ferred to a Swiss watch.” The Perfected American Watch GOOD wa ces: y of civili tion Many a man has lived toa ipeold out taking closer note of time than he could from the sun’s advya: ce of his desire for food. welt within sound of e without e v e r havin; ilroad train. Such per estones by wl surrounding community marks its pr yress. Ever one may n o t always feel e need o a good watch. The same may be said of bre:a d o r o f m e a t ; but there oftencomes the moment when a liable watch is m a s t e r of the situatio: the necessity and the poi a€ possession not only of a pocket time Pi 1 tofagood Wi a good watch one need never belate nor hurried. A poor watch is worse than none. h m a d w i l l , ime,” wrote 1oments, It n a y be accurate wher we 1ot, but it s seldom wr without nisleading. A poor \ ratany price; a goodoneis worth le watch is a splendic ves better return anc proportion than a n y yersonal we treated with commor a n d cleaned as occasion requi excepting acc Thoughthe c bethinneart f years than it was nent, if ally g yrousandexactas tl Moreover, t Howmuch you forty dollars wear, compared t the same ? FA eo©& We are speaking about the WaLTHAM watch, to the person who is n o t More t h a n twelve million people have tt aave told the Ily To such the watches LY story. Fifty years madein r o p e Then a possession. Just a the business of the H COMPANY, was orgar ; fe e shop ued upon lines This Company h ted nd horological OMPANY desi 1of the mactl re of Wa and well equipped isoneof themost impor‐ of the factory. This produced the than seventy grades and styles of watch movements. The choice of size is largely a matter of in‐ dividual taste, but some grades are particularly adapted to certain v o ‐ cations. Railroad men, for instance, m u s t have very close-running watches. Most of the railroads in the United States have watch inspection service, which is con‐ ducted under the management of ex‐ perienced watchmakers with the same degree of system that prevails in a n y other department of these corporations. T h e i r trainmen a r e required to c a r r watches of deter‐ mined jewelir and adjustments, which m u s t be regularly submitted to an authorized inspector for examination. It-is wellso. On lines employing the inspection service the percentage of accidents arising from the use of faulty timepieces has been minimized. tematic railroad watch inspection was first adopted dur i n g recent years. In‐ troduced by a wise fort ht, it has been gradually extended to almost every rail‐ road in the United States and Canada. Th f for the ingpub- made possi‐ ble by the Sgsuard travel‐ lic was The First Railroad Watch c i a l VALTHAM WATCH Company w a s the 2 construction of WALTHAM railroad watches, from which i n ‐ deed it w a s the logical fesult. The AMeri to manufacture an 18 s i z e full plate ovement. For upwards of a quarter of acentury this Company has made h movements expressly desig road use, and more twenty-four earsago WALTHAM tches were elected by the tish Government s the official time. keepers on the state ilways in I in manufac ng at WaLTHAM nave always enabled the AMERICAN ALTHAM Watcu Company to produce t h e best pocket timepieces, The manufacture of ‘railroad watches,” to speak colloquially beganwith theCrescent S This. was:for-years the highest grade . of. 18 ‘size. WaLTHAM watch. Later came the A p p . Ton; Tracy & Co.,; VANGUARD and others. The American WA Warcu Company was the first and for many years the-only watch manufactur‐ i n g ‘concern that. constructed a move‐ m e n t . specially adapted to railroad service:- -All-railroad watches of other makes a r e comparatively recent efforts. The Vancuarp is the highest quality 18 size Wa HAM movement, and, as its n a m e : implies, foremost among rail‐ Z roadwatches. It was intro‐ duceidn1894. Itisthebest18sizemove‐ m e n t one can buy. Descriptions of the VANGUARD, CRESCENT STRE! ton, Tracy & Co,Premierand APPLETON, Tracy &Co.willbefoundonsucceed‐ ingpages. -All of these movementsare madein Vancuarp model. This model has many points of superiority. Impor‐ Ningamong theni are the following: First. Its. solidity and strength. While the f r a m e of the ordinary move‐ m e n t is composed of ven parts, the Vancuarp model frame has but four pari In this model separate pillars a r e dispensed with, the t o p plate and its support being in one piece. Manner f Securing Jewel Pin, Location of Balance Wheel. Double Roller Escapement. S e c o n p . The location and protected condition of the balance wheel, which is placed farther from the mainspring ment and accordingly is 1 liable to polarization that might accrue from a slight degree of magnetism in the main‐ spring. Tuirp. The use of the doubleroller, whereby escapement friction is reduced. Fourtru. Themannerofsecuringthe jewel pin in the impulse roller. Firru. The improvedtemperedsteel safety barrel secures the train of the watch against dangers otherwise likely to result from breakage of the main‐ spring, and also allows the use of an xposed sap‐ phire pallets; compensating balance in recess, adjusted to temperature and fi v e positions; patent Breguet hair‐ spring, hardened and tempered in f o r m ; patent micrometric regulator; tempered steel safety b a r r e l ; exposed winding wheels; double-sunk dial. With an 18 carat medium weight gold case this movement costs about $85; with a 9m $70 to $§ lled case ( 1 4 carat), about sr case, about AppLeton, Tracy & Co, is in descrip‐ tion similar totheforegoing m o v e m e n t , except that it is adjusted to three positions This movement with an 18 weight gold case would cost about $80; with a 14 carat gold $ with a gold watches, 7 particularly f o r vocations r e q u i and close n i n g timepieces. essentially railroad construction fits theni the use of all whose very strong, durable Some years ago the owner of an Appleton, Tracy, & Co. watch which was made in 1865, sent it to the Com‐ pany, saying t he had bought it in that year and had always found it a faithful friend. He w a s proud of thirty-three yearosfmeritorious servi and thought, the Company: that made it would be glad. to see so valuable a-speci‐ m e n of its earlier product; He'said-he i felt himself wing old, but that this watch was insensible to age. It still had the spirit and vigor of youth. P. S. Bartiterr is a famous old Wattuam trade mark. It is a syno‐ n y m for a reliable watch. More than hundred thousand of these watches are in use, all giving satisfaction. It is the best 18 size movement one can buy if he wishes to invest about $50 in a 14 carat gold watch, P. S. Barriert is solid nickel; has 17 jewels; settings; exposed pallets; compensating balance, adjusted to tem‐ perature; patent Breguet hairspring, hardened and tempered in form; pat‐ ent micrometic regulator. The price of this movement, with an 18 c a r a t medium weight gold case, is about $65; with a 14 carat gold case, rom $50 to. $60; with a gold p a s e (14 carat), about $27; with a silver case, about $20. The con‐ struction,a few years ago, of the Wat‐ THAM 16 size new “thin model” movements was an erain watchmaking. This model em‐ bodies the best results of forty ‘ S I X years’ experience. It ‘ m e e t s the requirements who desire a watch. somewhat smaller in diameter and caliber than the 18s i z e . The foremost 16 size movements are the AmericanWatcu Co. bridgemodel and the Riversipe Maximus. These are the finest pocket timepieces it is possi‐ ble to make. The RiversipeE Maximus movement is solid nickel; has 23 diamond and ruby jewe 2 pairs diamond caps; both balance pivots running on diamonds; raised gold settings jeweled main wheel bearing ; jewel pin set without shellac; double roller escapement; steel escape w h e e l ; exposed sapphire pallets; com‐ pensating balance, accurately a d ‐ justed to temperature, isochronism and five positions, and carefully timed; pat‐ e n t Breguet hairspring, hardened and tempered in f o r m ; patent micrometric of those¥ regulator; tempered steel safety bar‐ rel; exposed windingwheels; gold train; fire glass hand‐ painted dial of most modernand artistic design. Approximate prices weight case, from $125 to $135; with a 14 carat gold case, from $115 to $r2s5. American Watcu Co. bridge model is substantially similar to RiversipEe Maximus, but possesses some details of construction which increase the cost of manufacturing this movement. The price of the bridge model is about $15 more than that of Riversip: Maximus. RIVERSIDE 16 s i z e is solid nickel; has 17 fine ruby jewels; raised gold settings; double roller es apement; steel escape wheel; exposed sapphire pallets; c o m ‐ pensating balance, adjusted to t e m ‐ perature and three positions; patent Breguet hair- spring, hardened and tempered in form; patent micrometric regulator; tempered steel safety barrel; as follows: a r e “With an 18carat gold medium center wheel. With an 18c a r a t medium weight gold case, the RiversmwE would cost about $85;witha 14caratgoldcase,from$70 to $80; with a gold filled case (14 carat), about $40; with a silver case, about $32. R o y a L movements are well and favor‐ ably known wherever watches are car‐ ried. ‘‘Sentinels of Time”’ they have been aptly termed. The 16size R o y a t is solid nickel; has 17 jewels; red gold settings; exposed pallets; compensating balance, adjusted to temperature; patent Breguet hair. spring, hardened and tempered in form; patent micrometric regulator; tempered steel safety barrel; exposed winding wheels; red gold center wheel. This movement, with an 18 carat medium weight gold case, costs about $75; witha14caratgoldcase,from$60 to $70; with a gold filled case (14 carat) about $32; with a silver case, about $23. What has been said of the 18 size BarTLetT applies equally well to the 16size. P.S. BARTLETT 16 size is solid settings; exposed compensating bal‐ justed to temperature; patent Bregu rspring, hardened. and tempered in f o r m ; patent micrometric regulator empered steel safety b a r r expos winding wheels; red gilded c e n t e r wheel. The price of this watch isabout thesameasthatof theRoya. The demand f o r a smaller watch for ntlemen was answered in 1896 with the 12size. Initscompactness,strength and unexceptionable running qualities, is s i z e is the summary of excellence in watchmaking. The ‘‘Named” 12 size movements a: the AMERICAN WatcH Co. bridge model, Riversipe Maximus, Riversipe and R o y a , the descriptions of which 4 the same as these yrades in 16 size. The prices of the 12 s i z e watches, with gold, gold filled, or silver cases, are from $1 to $ro less than the 16size, according to the quality, weight and style of case. Ladies’ watches a r e made in o size and Jewel Series. Riversipe Maximus 0 size is solid nickel; has 19 diamond and ruby jew‐ one pair diamond caps; both balance pivots running on diamonds; raised gold settings; jewel p i n s e t without shellac; double roller escape‐ ment; steel 4 escape wheel; ex‐ posed sapphire pallets; pensating balance, ad- justed, and carefully timed; patent Breguet hairspring, hardened and tempered in form; patent micrometric regulator; tempered steel safety barrel; exposed winding wheels; gold train; fine glass hand-painted dial of most modern and artistic design. An 18 carat.gold o size RiverstipE Maximus watch would cost from $55 to $6 ; 14 carat gold, from $50 to $60. RiversipeE © size is solid nickel; has 17 ruby jewels; raised gold settings; steel escape wheel; exposed sapphire pallets; compensating balance, adjusted; ‘ patent Breguet hairspring, hardened and tempered in form; patent micro‐ metric regulator; tempered steel fety barrel; exposed winding wheels; red gold center wheel. An 18 carat gold o size RiversIpe watch would cost from $50 to $60; 14 carat from $45 to $55. L a p y Watruam is solid nickel; . has 16 ruby jewels; raised gold settings; exposed pallets; compensating balance, ad‐ justed ; patent Breguet hairspring, hardened and tempered in form; patent micro‐ metric regulator; tem‐ pered steel safety barrel; exposed wind‐ ing wheels; red gold center wheel. An 18carat gold Lapy WaLrHam would cost from $40 to $45; 14 carat gold from $35 to $40; gold filled (14 carat) about $24. No departure in’ watchmaking has m o r e clearly shown the customary initia‐ tive of this Company than the Jewel Series watches. The movements are exactly the size of a twenty‐ five cent piece. Their proportions invite io: casing, front the simple plain polished to the richest con‐ ceptionofs the jeweler’s Until Jewel Series 1 ced, good watches of te characte‐r 1foreign made‐were so expensive as to render neir sale very limited; e n c e the general belief an accurate time‐ keeper so s was necessari rice. JewelSeries ve corrected that impressiTM These watches, althoug nutive enough to creatéTM@an e x ‐ clusive field in always sound Diamonp, I 1atio Jewel Se manufacturing, a r e c o r r e c t timepieces. 1 Rusy are the f the three qualities of ovements, Descriptions follow: D1a‐ mond is solid nickel; has 17 diamond and ruby j both balance 1 c a s e and IDE gold setti exposed hairspring, ardened and tempered i tempered safety barrel; posed winding red gold tempered steel safety barrel; exposed winding wheels. It is impracti‐ cable to q u o t e the average prices of these watches, because of the almost endless variety of cases in which the movements are supplied, but the prices are from $40 ( 1 4 carat gold plain case) upwards, according to the weight and the engraving or decoration applied. T u e AmeRIcAN WaLtHam Wartcu Company does not make nor deal in watch cases. The manufacture of these is aseparate industry. It should there‐ purchasers. Numerous case factories throughout the United States have a large and varied product in gold, gold filled, silver and nickel cases. Retail watch dealers will fit WaLrHam move‐ ments into any quality, shape and de‐ sign of case on the market, If the particular g r a d e of movement or style of case required is n o t in the dealer’s stock, he can usually obtain the same promptly Furthermore, a pocket timepiece re‐ quires regulation according to the occupation and habits of the wearer. This is best done while the watch is being carried, but should n o t be attempted by any one who is n o t a watchmaker. T h e business of this Company conducted . strictly with the whole‐ trade. No goods a r e sold u n d e r any circumstances. Nor is the Company equipped to under‐ take general repairing. That is the province of t h e retail watch dealer; an important one. A WaLTHAm watch is ruined, n o t by time, but by bad handli To r u n well it should be wound regularly, cleaned yearly, and, if injured, taken to a competent, prac‐ tical man. A WatrtH AM watch properly for will last a me. American Waltham Watch Company, Waltham. Mass. sale watch retail ‘atches,” Showing the a c t o r y American Waltham WatchCompan Howa 26 Ormiston Road, Westcombe Park, London, S. E., England, Waltham Watch o 10-2-'97. GENTLEMEN: About three years since, acting on set Englands ‘Time. American Waltham Watch Co. Waltham, Mass., U . S . A, The Reply from the Astronomer Royal. that I on ofa of R a l age the advice watches for about eighteen y e a r s , I purchased a Lever Waltham Watch. I am happy to sayit has friend who had had one your turned o u t a marvel of accu cumstances I feel I a m only ing this fact to 3 bur _notic most unique performance, and the one of wh am especia proud, is the fact, that byi t s w a s a b l e t o detect a n e r r o r i n t h e f a l l o f t h e t i m e - b a l at the Royal Observatory, Gre ich, which g i v e s the standard t i m e to the civilized world. It hap‐ pened as follows: I ma the fall of the time-ball p. m., whenever the a i r day, to my surprise, I found the ball had dropped some few seconds before I had expected it to hadsuch confidence in my watch that I did not beli it at fault, and felt sure that some mistake had been made at the Observatory. On telling some of my friends of myconvictions, I w a s simply laughed at for my impudence in daring to pit my Waltham vatch against t h e accuracoyf the Royal Observa‐ tory. However, to set the matter at rest, I wrote to the Astronomer Royal, telling h i m of my convic‐ tion, and asking him if he would let me know t h e r I was right or wrong. In return I received a courteous reply from the Astronomer Royal, stating } fonAentoy eighteensecotoonsodons.‘Thiseemstomesucha remarkableproof of the reliability of your watches , Dear Sir Se answer 1 “hg toyour lettex.ofyes‐ terdaytheAstrono‐ m e rRoyalrequests me to informy o u that on Thursday lastthetimeball was through an ac‐ cident dropped about eighteen sec‐ onds before o n e oclock. eee Ma 4/0 that I feel justified in b r i n g itntgo your notice. If You would care to have the Astronomer Ro ietter as a memento, I should be pleased to hear from you tot h a t effect. Wishing every successand prosperity to your deservedly world-famed I remain, very sincerely, THOMAS WHEATE: Yours truly TFUheate Esq HPHOllrs. and under the doing my d uin btringy‐ But perhaps i practice of watching each day at o n e o'clock is clear enough, and one was quite right, and that o w i n g to an accident, the ball was dropped about the day named, Washington, D. C . , February To the Waltham Watch Co., Gentlemen:‐Iwasamemberofthe Greeley-Franklin Bay Expedition, and u p o n r e q u e s t make a r e p o r t o f m y watch, whichis a William Ellery movement No. 1,520,608. This watch was carried bymeinthe Arctic Circle for three years. There were eighteen watches in the party. My watch had the smallest v a r i ation of a n y , six seconds for twenty-four hours, and the nearest a n y other watch came to it was sixteen seconds. None gave the results and satisfaction: that the William Ellery did. During our stay at Fort Conger, the watch kept correct time in a temperature ranging from forty to fifty degrees below zero. JULIUS R. FREDERICK Subscribed and sworn to, this 10th day of February, 1885. Ameri Washington, D. C . , November 27, 1899, n Waltham Watch Company, Waltiiam, Mas J O H FN CLARKE, t a r y Public. Gentlemen: The nine watches made by y o u which were carried in the Wellman Expedition p r o v e d entirely satisfactory. Two of these were injured slightly by the Norwegian sailors i n , the early ter. The remaining vsene were used by me in ascertaining t i m e and also positions of latitude and lon gitude. Positions of s t a r s computed by the aid of these watches could be depended u p o n to the ac@gftacy of a second. Positions of longitude ascer tained by Julius Payer twenty-five y e a r s previously were verified. Extreme cold affected the move‐ ments but slightly, and in no w a y in jured them. After returning to Norway, but slight discrepancies were found upon comparing with Greenwichtime. In my judgment these movements are thoroughly reliable for any use and in a n y clime, being thoroughly compen sated. Yours sincerely, QUIROF HARLAN, Physicist to Wellman Polar Expedition, xt Farts. 1878 ripe Cade Cncago 189, md "7 “4edals and DIPp!lon in Zire. yecnan AS e t yil ]) WALTHAM i /\\\| have received awards wher‐ na ety"1879 PreCad ® Phehe Orteans: 1885 ©tist Prise pedals* 96 00/ "89 Colt Medal WATCHES ever exhibited da! tone, S t e n leah ey A feceinia -1ET6, Fist PriseMet Ralph Waldo Emerson, in an Essay on Elo‐ quence said in speak: ing of aman whom he described as a Godsend to his town, “He is put together like aWaltham Watch?